Sighting means for suction cleaners



July 16, 1940. P. ALCULLMAN I SIGHTING MEANS FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Filed Sept. 3, 1936 ZSheets-Sheet l p/zlzciwzzggam BY- I ATTORNEY y 16, 9 0- P. A. CQLLMAN. B 2,208,523

SIGHTING MEANS FdR SUCTION CLEANERS Fil'ed Sept. s, 1935 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Fizz/v Aadzmaxc ATTORNEY Patented July 16, 1940 PATENT OFFICE SIGHTING MEANS FOR SUCTION CLEANERS I Philipp A. Cullman,.New York, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Lenslite Co. Inc., a corporation of Florlda Application September 3, 1936, Serial No..99,303

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners in general and more particularly to new and novel means for supplying illumination incorporated within the vacuum cleaners. The provision of illumination directly ahead of the suction cleaner and on the surface covering being cleaned will greatly facilitate the use of the cleaners in dark rooms, corners and closets, and under articles of furniture where the lighting is poor.

l It is an object of the invention to incorporate within the suction cleaner a lighting means for the adequate illumination of the surface directly in front of the cleaner.

It is a further object to integrally combine a prismatic lens and a light source with a vacuum cleaner.

Another object is to efl'lciently utilize the light from a source placed'within a vacuum cleaner to adequately illuminate the surface ahead of the cleaner.

Still another object lies in the provision of lighting means incorporated within a suction cleaner in an attractive manner so as to materially add to the appearance of the cleaning unit.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a prismatic lens and a light source incorporated within a vacuum cleaner in such manner as to leave, its normal outline and shape unchanged by the addition of any jutting portions, thus eliminating the dangerof breaking, by collision with articles of furniture. These and other more specific objects will appear in the following specifications and claims.

To aid a clearer understanding of the invention, drawings are attached in which the preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a suction cleaner embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of a portion of the cleaner taken on line ll of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a face view of the lens shown in Fig. v

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the lens shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a front view of the reflector shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the same reflector.

Fig. 7 is a top view of the reflector shown in Fi 5.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a cleaner embodying a second aspect of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a front view of the lens shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a section taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 9 and including the light source.

Fig. 11 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a vertical section of a modified form of lens which may be substituted for the lens of Figure 2.

Fig. 13 is a vertical section of a modified form of illuminator per se.

The invention may be incorporated within any modern electric vacuum cleaner. In general such suction cleaners comprise an electrically actuated motor; a fan driven by this motor in a fan chamber; a brush, belt-driven by the motor and placed within a nozzle. In operation the fan creates a reduced pressure in the fan chamber and nozzle. The latter, being in close juxtaposition to the floor covering, draws and sucks cleaning air and particles of dirt from the surface covering through the nozzle and airpassage way exhausting it into a dust bag carried at the rear of the cleaner.

Referring to the drawings suction cleaners are shown in part, only those portions necessary to the full disclosure and explanatory of the operation of the invention being portrayed.

Referring in particular to Figs. 1-7 inclusive a preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed. One of the usual types of modern vacuum cleaners is shown in Fig. 1 comprising a pivoted handle 9, a dust bag 8, and a motor casing 4. This outer casing for the motor is shaped into a semi-cylindrical nozzle 5 at the front, a transition section I in the center and a dome shaped section II at the top rear. In the front face of the dome-like portion H, is an elongated opening in which is placed flush with the surface a lens l3 which is a preferred embodiment of this invention. A small tubular lamp I9 is vertically placed just in back of the lens. A. lamp socket 2| is suitably aifixed by screws, rivets or other means to the inner casing 24 of the electric motor not shown. A semi-cylindrical reflector 22, partially closed by a spherical portion at its top and having a circular ring portion 25 at its bottom to which are sweated two spring clips 23, is slipped over the lamp l9 and is held firmly in place by juxtaposition with the cup shaped projection at the top of the lamp socket and the coincidence of the projections 21 on the spring clips with holes 26 in the socket container.

The lens I3 is shaped to fit the contour of the cleaner casing. Thus, as is seen in Fig. 2, it is convex in its upper portion and concave in its lower. The outer edge of the lens is flanged inwardly It, in such manner as to snugly fit the opening in the cleaner casing II. The lens may be secured to the cleaner in any suitable manner, one way being as shown in Fig. 2 by the use of a spring clip 28 at the top afllxed to the casing by a screw 29 and metal clips 30 and 3| at the bottom the latter being slotted to accommodate the screw 32 and to allow the removal of the lens.

The lens is supplied with three horizontal of Figs. 8 to 11, inclusive.

prismatic zones M, I and IS in its central por-v tion and on its rear face. Each zone differs from the other in refractive power and all refract. light rays from a source 20 in the manner indicated by the arrows. The prisms serve to concentrate and refract downward the light rays striking the central portion of the lens. Three vertical flutes II are formed in the outer face of the lens and serveto spread the beam horizontally. In general illumination upwardly and downwardly are supplied by the upper and lower smooth portions of the lens aided by the light rearwardly projected by the light source and forwardly reflected by the reflector. The beam obtained from the illuminator is then of a concentrated,'wide, rectangular pattern of high intensity just in front of the cleaner on the floor covering, surrounded by general illumination of lower intensity. Such a beam efliciently uses the light from a source by placing most of it on the surface being cleaned with sufficient general illumination in the vertical plane to adequately light furniture, walls, and other obstacles. v

The lens 54 shown in Fig. 12 may be used in place of lens 13. In this lens a plurality of refracting zones are shown of which zones 55-51 inclusive are total internal reflecting zones.

In Fig. 8 a suction cleaner is shown having the upper portion of the outer casing ll, surrounding the vertically mounted motor, cylindrical in shape. In such a cleaner the lens of the illuminator may be replaced by a cylindrical lens 33 shown more in detail in Figs. 9, 10, and 11. With this lens the light source 20 is placed on the optical axis 34 of the illuminator which slopes downward to the center of the lens 33. This lens is cylindrical in shape and flanged outward around its periphery 35 to fit snugly within the opening within and continue the contour of the cleaner casing H. A plurality of horizontal straight prisms "-53 inclusive are formed on the outer surface of the lens. Each prism differs from the other in refractive power and all combine to produce a concentrated beam of parallel rays moving downward substantially in the direction of the optical axis of the illuminator. If desired, vertical flutes not shown may be added on the inner surface of the lens 33 to produce any desired horizontal beam spread ahead of the suction cleaner.

In Fig. 13, a modified form of lens 58 is illustrated and it may be employed in lieu of the lens I This lens 58 is substantially cylindrical and is provided with a horizontally bulged portion 59 extending parallel to and between zonesof horizontal prisms 60. With a light source 20 disposed above the center of the lens 58 and in line with the sloping optical axis 6| a downwardly and forwardly directed beam of concentrated light is obtained.

No mention has been made of wiring, switching or circuits to provide electrical energy from the cleaner motor to the light source within the illuminator as these form no part of the present invention. In operation the illuminators efliciently throw directed and unobstructed light beams upon. the floor covering or,other surface being cleaned, facilitating the process of cleaning and apprising the operator of the cleaner when the desired degree of cleanliness is obtained.

While a detailed disclosure has been given of some of the forms the invention may take, it is not intended to limit the invention to the abovedescription. The nature of the invention is such that it may be used in connection with a multitude of diflerent openings varying in size, shape, and position and on differing types of suction cleaners. Prismatic closures may be used in the illuminators of any shape or size to flt the contours of the cleaners and the possibility of varying the number of prisms, their location,'size and refractive power is endless without departing in any way from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a suction cleaner in-' cluding a casing provided with an opening in its front wall, of a glass closure within said opening, an electrically energized light source within said casing behind said glass closure, said glass closure constituting a lens having substantially horizontally prisms of variant refractive power to deflect a restricted and concentrated beam of light downwardly in front of the cleaner and other portions to allow light to pass therethrou'gh to provide light around the concentrated beam.

2. The combination as in claim 1, with the lens having means to elongate the projected light in a direction transversely of the path of travel of the cleaner to a length somewhat greater than the length of the suction intake of the cleaner.

3. The combination as in claim 1, with the said lens being constructed so as to restrict the elongation of the projected concentrated light beam to a length substantially equal to the length of the suction nozzle of the cleaner.

4. The combination as in claim 1, said lens having flutes transversely to said prisms so as to elongate the projected light beam in a direction transversely of the path of travel of the cleaner, the spread of the said concentrated beam being to a length substantially equal to the length of the nozzle intake of the cleaner and the elongation of the light by the flutes being to a length somewhat greater than the length of said nozzle intake.

5. The combination with a suction cleaner including a substantially cylindrical casing having an opening in its front side, a glass closure within said opening substantially conforming to the curvature of the casing wall, and an electrically energized light source within said opening behind said glass closure, said glass closure having horizontal prisms of variant refractive powers to deflect a concentrated beam of light downwardly in front of the cleaner and other portions to allow light to pass therethrough around the concentrated beam, said glass closure having horizontal and vertical edges to confine the projected light beams to a predetermined area.

6. The combination as in claim 5, with the said light source arranged above the center of said lens.

7. In a suction cleaner, a motor, an outer casing for said motor, an opening in the forward wall of the upper portion of said casing, a glass closure concave in its lower and convex in its upper portions shaped in the contour of the casing within the said opening, a plurality of horizontal prisms formed upon the central portion of the inner surface of said closure and an electrically energized light source within said casing behind said glass closure.

PHILIPP A. CULLMAN. 

